My fellow College Coach admissions consultants and I get asked quite a few questions every year about high school course selection and college applications. Colleges want to see you challenge yourself as much as possible in the context of your high school, and will not compare curriculum options across high schools. The majority of colleges do not have a preference between AP and IB classes, so you should instead focus on challenging yourself as much as possible with the classes available to you at your school.

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program

The AP program offers students a challenging, fast-paced learning environment. Generally taken in junior and senior year, students can pick which individual subjects to take at the AP level depending on what is offered at their school.

The dreaded label hovers over all parents as we try to help (and yes, over help) our children, but never more than when our progeny apply to college. That’s when we become, well…crazy. Legends abound about parents writing essays, berating admissions officers, and, in one particularly creative urban legend, applying to schools on our offspring’s behalf (I’m told by a reliable source that the last one is more or less impossible, but you never know).

Q: I have just received a denial letter from a college. Can I appeal the decision?

A: It can be a natural feeling when receiving a thin envelope to want the admissions committee to reconsider their decision. Did they see your solid grades? Do they know how hard that AP Bio course is at your school? Do they know how hard it was to get that internship?

The letter from the college wasn’t skinny, but it wasn’t fat either. It was somewhere in the middle–you’ve been waitlisted.

What landed you on the Waitlist

People are put on waitlists for a variety of reasons, the most common of which is that the admissions committee really liked you, you were a compelling applicant, but there were simply other applicants who were stronger. You were likely a student they knew could do the work and would have contributed nicely to the campus community, but again, other applicants had higher numbers, higher grades, more significant activities, etc. In the end, you’ll likely never know what got you on the waitlist or how close you were to being admitted, or denied, so don’t spend time ruminating about it. As the adage goes, “It is what it is.”

Just because I appreciate a good turn of phrase does not mean I’m poised to write the next great American novel. Nor do my frequent visits to WebMD make me qualified to dispense health advice. As I opened my Outlook calendar this morning, I realized it is late March. Tax time. I better call my accountant, not my best friend who majored in economics in college.

It’s unlikely you would consider using an attorney who did not pass the bar or a contractor without a license. So as you think about how to identify the most qualified person to help your family navigate the college admission process, allow me to give you one piece of advice:

During this time of year, my meetings with juniors often begin with questions about next year’s coursework. Families worry both about how much their student can handle and how colleges will view their curricular choices during the college selection process. Jimmy can take 4 APs, but his Eagle Scout project will take up so much time after school. He also wants to take the philosophy and world religion electives. What should he pick? Sarah wants to get into the State Engineering College, so should she take a lighter course load outside of math and physics to boost her GPA?

Most families understand the numeric output of the GPA. But what really matters to colleges is what those little numbers represent—how much a student challenges herself, and the success she earns through those challenges. So yes, colleges do care whether students take AP, IB, and honors courses.

When I meet with students and their families about the college admission process, the topic of choosing the right extracurricular activities for college admissions is one they want to discuss with a level of seriousness usually assigned to matters of national security. I can’t say I blame them given that talk of college usually begins almost immediately after a child loses all her baby teeth. One question is always raised: how many extracurricular activities should my child be doing?

Extracurricular Activities vs. Academic Work

As with many things related to college admissions, it depends. Some students can manage 20 hours of activities per week while still maintaining their academic work, while others are only able to handle eight.

Are you looking for advice about curriculum choices and extracurricular activities? Do you need assistance with a college list? Are you hoping your child can complete as many of his application essays as possible before the end of summer? Do you need an independent college counselor but aren’t sure how best to evaluate your options?

As a former admissions officer for the University of Pennsylvania and current independent college counselor, here are some questions I would ask:

Have you done admissions before? Where did you work and did you participate in the decision making process?

My oldest child is in the 4th grade, and it is amazing how many parents at his K-8 school want to have coffee with me to discuss college admissions, even for children who have not yet hit middle school. But if I’m being honest with myself, even I think about how my son’s decisions today impact who he will be when he applies to college. But then one of my wise colleagues will set me straight and help me to remember that he’s still too young to be planning for college.

On the flip side, I’ve met plenty of parents of 12th graders who are still kicking the can down the road, sort of waiting for the process to happen to them. So when is the right time to “start?”

5 Tips for Helping Your High School Junior with Stress During the College Admissions Process

It’s not uncommon at this time of year as a parent of a high school junior to think “What is going on? Is this year ever going to get any easier?” It sometimes feels endless: the number of tests students need to take on top of their most intense academic demands thus far in high school, trying to research and visit colleges, juggling what are probably multiple after-school activities, and of course, Driver’s Education! Phew! Well, maybe it helps to know you are not alone. When parents who have survived junior year commiserate with you, most of them will very likely let you know that, though the college application process isn’t a walk-in-the-park and the stress of waiting for decisions can be a nail-biter, somehow, senior year is actually easier.

So, how do you deal now? Beyond running away to a different country or pulling the covers over your head, we recommend trying to infuse as much down time and balance into your family’s life as possible. Here are a few quick suggestions.

About Us

The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts is where College Coach experts weigh in on the latest college admissions topics. We cover everything from application timelines and strategies to tips on financing your child's education.